


Teaching the Ropes

by SigmaticSaki



Series: Flowersquad(original work) [1]
Category: Flowersquad(original work), Original Work
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:41:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26426548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SigmaticSaki/pseuds/SigmaticSaki
Summary: A flashback to pre-flowersquad events, where young Cyclops(Hilde) experiences for the first time what can only be described as the hardest part of becoming a mercenary and assassin for hire - staining your hands with the blood of others.
Series: Flowersquad(original work) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920877
Kudos: 5





	Teaching the Ropes

“Are ya sure ya’re ready for this, kid?”

Hilde stared quietly at the man tied up on the floor before her, shoulders twitching every time they moved or hissed through the fabric wrapped over their mouth. She was almost hypnotized, completely distracted by their fear and her own…

(I can do this, right? Charon said I’m a fast learner, that means I can pull this off now… Right…?)

Her thoughts were interrupted by her mentor snapping his finger before her face. She quickly straightened her back and turned to face him, clutching her blade tightly in her hands against her chest.

“It’s fine if ya say ya need some more time to prepare yourself. I don’t want ya to push yourself too much.”

“I… I’m fine, I’m ready. I think observing your work for almost half a year has been enough.” The young girl stared up at Charon as she finally responded out loud, a mixture of concern and anger reflecting through her gaze. The young mercenary in training did get used to observing the work... But was she truly ready to do this, to take someone else’s life?

Taking a deep breath to gather her thoughts, she drew her katana from its sheath and nodded; If that meant getting closer to confront the people who took her family away from her... Then she was ready.

“Remember what I taught ya: A quick an’ deep cut across the jugular is enough. Knock ‘em dead, Cyclops.” Charon gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder before sending her off to the other end of the room with quivering legs.

(I can do this... No, I must do this. Or perhaps I don’t have to… What would my parents say if they saw me right now…?)

She paused by the victim, blade shaking in her grasp. After doing this, there would be no turning back, doing that would completely change her life… But would it be for the better? Perhaps for the worse? Did it really matter how her life would change at that point?

She frowned, hands grabbing tighter onto the blade with a frown and a spark of courage. No, it did not matter… Not anymore; Everything was taken from her, she lost her parents, her house, her chance at having a normal life and pursuing her dream job… At this point she had nothing left to lose.

Hilde raised her katana over her head, blade facing forward, and with a loud cry she aggressively swung it down toward the tied man. In that moment, the courage she has gained already started to fade away, her sight getting blurry and fading into darkness. Feeling the blade piercing through his flesh and hitting the ground beneath them, and pulling away… She swung it down again and pulled it out of their body with shivering arms, clumsier this time. That was far from what she has trained herself for, for the method she has been practicing - That perfect cut across the neck Charon has reminded her of mere moments ago… She completely blacked out.

The red splatters decorating the steel blade and her arms weakened her limbs, forcing her down to her knees and drop the blade by her side. She quietly stared down at her weapon, then at the dying man. The light of life slowly left his eyes, and the same blood which tainted her arms slowly pooled beneath him and creeped closer to her. Only then the weight of her actions seemed to take its toll – She just killed someone.

Fear… Anger… Confusion… Frustration… So many emotions swirled within her mind, drawing her breath away until the room started spinning. Heat crept up her chest and throat, a growing wave of nausea came over her. And before she could speak, before she could cry out to her mentor, she turned away from the fresh corpse and threw up with a pained groan, shivering hands just barely keeping her from falling flat against the floor. It was all far too much to think about in that very moment, too much to process. It all happened too fast…

“I know, It’s not easy... It never is. I remember after my first kill I fainted the moment I got back to my room.” Among her coughs and sobs, Charon softly spoke to her and gently brought her back to her feet, arm wrapped around her shoulder for support. He wanted to ease on her by congratulating her on her first paycheck, he wanted to say the fact that man was a messed up drug lord could be comforting, but he knew she did not need that at the moment. He sighed and brushed his blonde locks off his eyes as he bit his lip for a moment of musing, she did not need to hear about the money she would get, but she needed to hear something... Anything.

“...Saying you’ll get used to it would be a lie, it’s a weight we carry until we die… But after a few more contracts you’ll simply grow more and more numb.”

With her face burried against Charon’s shoulder, she quickly paced away, dragging herself with him outside the room; She was too overwhelmed and too tired to talk, she just wanted to stop crying and go to bed. In return he gave her another gentle pat on the shoulder before he spoke again: “Rest for as long as you need, Hilde. I’ll check up on you later after I clean up over here. Promise me you'll say when you're ready for the next time, no matter how long it takes.”

Hilde nodded quietly and leaned against the wall after letting go of Charon's arm, hands crossed over her chest and fingers digging into her forearms. All she had to do was do this, to kill, again and again, right...? Until she could stomach that as another day on the job, until her mind would feel numb to the sight of blood on her hands and blade? In that case, perhaps there was no point in waiting too long until she was ready - Because she would never truly feel ready.

Tomorrow... Hopefully tomorrow these feelings would subdue further; One day at a time until she would no longer pay any mind to them.


End file.
